Leica S-E Typ 006 vs Nikon D810

The Leica S-E (Typ 006) and the Nikon D810 are two professional cameras that were officially introduced, respectively,
in September 2014 and June 2014. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on a medium format (S-E Typ 006) and a full frame (D810) sensor. The Leica has a resolution of 37.5 megapixels, whereas the Nikon provides 36.2 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Leica S-E (Typ 006) and the
Nikon D810? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Leica S-E Typ 006 and the Nikon D810 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Nikon D810 is notably smaller (6 percent) than the Leica S-E Typ 006. Moreover, the D810 is markedly lighter (22 percent) than the S-E Typ 006. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses
in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, just click on the right or left
arrow next to the camera that you would like to inspect. Alternatively, you can also use the CAM-parator to
select your camera combination among a larger number of options.

Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The D810 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 80 percent) than the S-E Typ 006, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Leica S-E Typ 006 features a medium format sensor and the Nikon D810
a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the D810 is 36 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 0.8 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 37.5MP, the S-E Typ 006 offers a slightly higher
resolution than the D810 (36.2MP), but the S-E Typ 006 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of
6.00μm versus 4.88μm for the D810) due to its larger sensor. It is noteworthy in this context that the two cameras were released in close succession, so that their sensors are
from the same technological generation. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

The Leica S-E (Typ 006) has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D810 are ISO 64 to ISO 12800, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 32-51200.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Leica S-E Typ 006

Medium Format

37.5

7500

5000

none

..

..

..

..

Leica S-E Typ 006

Nikon D810

Full Frame

36.2

7360

4912

1080/60p

25.7

14.8

2853

97

Nikon D810

Canon 5DS

Full Frame

50.3

8688

5792

1080/30p

24.7

12.4

2381

87

Canon 5DS

Leica S3

Medium Format

64.0

9800

6533

4K/24p

..

..

..

..

Leica S3

Leica M Typ 262

Full Frame

23.7

5952

3976

none

..

..

..

..

Leica M Typ 262

Leica SL

Full Frame

24.0

6000

4000

4K/30p

25.0

13.4

1821

88

Leica SL

Leica S Typ 007

Medium Format

37.5

7500

5000

4K/24p

..

..

..

..

Leica S Typ 007

Leica S Typ 006

Medium Format

37.5

7500

5000

none

23.9

12.2

824

76

Leica S Typ 006

Leica S2

Medium Format

37.5

7500

5000

none

..

..

..

..

Leica S2

Nikon D850

Full Frame

45.4

8256

5504

4K/30p

26.4

14.8

2660

100

Nikon D850

Nikon D4S

Full Frame

16.2

4928

3280

1080/60p

24.4

13.3

3074

89

Nikon D4S

Nikon D610

Full Frame

24.2

6016

4016

1080/30p

25.1

14.4

2925

94

Nikon D610

Nikon D800

Full Frame

36.2

7360

4912

1080/30p

25.3

14.4

2853

95

Nikon D800

Nikon D800E

Full Frame

36.2

7360

4912

1080/30p

25.6

14.3

2979

96

Nikon D800E

Pentax 645D

Medium Format

39.5

7264

5440

none

24.6

12.6

1262

82

Pentax 645D

Sony A7R

Full Frame

36.2

7360

4912

1080/60p

25.6

14.1

2746

95

Sony A7R

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The D810 indeed provides for movie recording, while the S-E Typ 006 does not. The highest resolution format that the D810 can use is 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The S-E Typ 006 and the D810 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder.
The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinder in the D810 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the
S-E Typ 006 (98%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. On the other hand,
the viewfinder of the S-E Typ 006 has a higher magnification (0.87x vs 0.70x),
so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Leica S-E Typ 006, the Nikon D810, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Mech Shutter Speed

Shutter Flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Leica S-E Typ 006

optical

Y

3.0

922

fixed

n

1/4000s

1.5

n

n

Leica S-E Typ 006

Nikon D810

optical

Y

3.2

1229

fixed

n

1/8000s

5.0

Y

n

Nikon D810

Canon 5DS

optical

Y

3.2

1040

fixed

n

1/8000s

5.0

n

n

Canon 5DS

Leica S3

optical

Y

3.0

922

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

n

n

Leica S3

Leica M Typ 262

optical

n

3.0

921

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

n

n

Leica M Typ 262

Leica SL

4400

Y

3.0

1040

fixed

Y

1/8000s

11.0

n

n

Leica SL

Leica S Typ 007

optical

Y

3.0

922

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.5

n

n

Leica S Typ 007

Leica S Typ 006

optical

Y

3.0

922

fixed

n

1/4000s

1.5

n

n

Leica S Typ 006

Leica S2

optical

Y

3.0

460

fixed

n

1/4000s

1.5

n

n

Leica S2

Nikon D850

optical

Y

3.2

2359

tilting

Y

1/8000s

9.0

n

n

Nikon D850

Nikon D4S

optical

Y

3.2

921

fixed

n

1/8000s

11.0

n

n

Nikon D4S

Nikon D610

optical

Y

3.2

921

fixed

n

1/4000s

6.0

Y

n

Nikon D610

Nikon D800

optical

Y

3.2

921

fixed

n

1/8000s

4.0

Y

n

Nikon D800

Nikon D800E

optical

Y

3.2

921

fixed

n

1/8000s

4.0

Y

n

Nikon D800E

Pentax 645D

optical

Y

3.0

921

fixed

n

1/4000s

1.1

n

n

Pentax 645D

Sony A7R

2400

n

3.0

1230

tilting

n

1/8000s

4.0

n

n

Sony A7R

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The D810 has one, while the S-E Typ 006 does not.
While the built-in flash of the D810 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The Nikon D810 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to
capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the S-E Typ 006 and the D810 write their files to Compact Flash or SDXC cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Leica S-E (Typ 006) and Nikon D810 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Port

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Leica S-E Typ 006

Y

none

none

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Leica S-E Typ 006

Nikon D810

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

Y

-

-

Nikon D810

Canon 5DS

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

3.0

-

-

-

Canon 5DS

Leica S3

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

Y

-

-

Leica S3

Leica M Typ 262

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Leica M Typ 262

Leica SL

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

full

3.0

Y

-

-

Leica SL

Leica S Typ 007

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

Y

-

-

Leica S Typ 007

Leica S Typ 006

Y

none

none

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Leica S Typ 006

Leica S2

Y

none

none

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Leica S2

Nikon D850

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

Y

Y

Y

Nikon D850

Nikon D4S

Y

mono

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D4S

Nikon D610

Y

mono

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D610

Nikon D800

Y

mono

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

-

-

-

Nikon D800

Nikon D800E

Y

mono

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

-

-

-

Nikon D800E

Pentax 645D

Y

stereo

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Pentax 645D

Sony A7R

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A7R

It is notable that the D810 offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data
to an off-camera location. In contrast, the S-E Typ 006 does not offer wifi capability.

Both cameras feature a PC Sync terminal to control professional strobe lights, which will be appreciated by studio photographers.

Both the S-E Typ 006 and the D810 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used
on eBay. The D810 was replaced by the Nikon D850, while the S-E Typ 006 was followed by the Leica S Typ 007. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official
Leica and Nikon websites.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is the Leica S-E Typ 006 better than the Nikon D810 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.

More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (80 percent cheaper at launch).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the D810 is the clear winner of the contest (12 : 6 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges
from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera
is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

S-E Typ 006 06:12 D810

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Leica S-E Typ 006 and the Nikon D810 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest
Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the S-E Typ 006 and the D810 in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, and photographyblog). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge,
reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.